Cote d’Ivoire is a sovereign nation in West Africa that originally was a serious coffee and cocoa producer, but in the 1980s went through an economic crisis. After that, the main export is agriculture, and has remained so well into the 21st century.

Here are 5 development projects in Cote d’Ivoire that will vastly improve their economy and national well-being. Hopefully it will bring them closer to a fully-functioning, independent society.

1. Gender-Based Violence Project

In 2001, a political crisis in Cote d’Ivoire severely diminished the role of and respect towards women, leading to a large growth in Gender-Based Violence (GBV); in fact, the GBV affected around 67 percent of all female citizens. Used as a weapon of war, survivors and victims of GBV had to grapple with the harsh affects of trauma and medical conditions without a judicial system that held the criminals accountable.

The Emerging From Conflict-Multisector Support Project started in December 2007 and focuses mainly on filling the aid gap that 17,000 social workers and crucial employees in this sector created by departing. To accomplish such a feat, the nation established many service centers that offered an package of medical, psychological, economic and legal help for GBV survivors. The GBV section of this project used around $3 million, and the nation has felt its impact since: it rehabilitated 8 social protection services, 16 health centers, trained 300 social workers in GBV treatment and care, and created a referral and counter-referral system that created more attention for GBV.

2. Urban Water Supply Project

Approved in June 2016, the Urban Water Supply Project will drastically change the daily life of many citizens. Through 2022, this $50 million program hope to improve water quality, and increase water accessibility in select urban areas. The main focus of the project, the water supply component, will focus on constructing water treatment plants, boreholes and other ways to receive water. It will also work on constructing tanks and water transmission lines.

3. Emergency Urban Infrastructure Project

Specifically in the cities of Abidjan, Bouake and other selected cities one of the 5 development projects in Cote d’Ivoire aims to increase the quality of urban structures and infrastructures. Finished in 2010 with the cost of $50 million, the project focuses on scaling-up basic urban services. It also hopes to strengthen management capacity and and extend network services in cities as well.

4. Electricity Transmission and Access Project

In March 2017, the World Bank approved a $325 million development project in Cote d’Ivoire for the Electricity Transmission and Access Project. The project plans to increase to electricity for the population in 10 regional capital cities and rural areas. The government’s planned “Electricity for All” program will reduce costs from $250 to $2 per household.

5. HKB Bridge

Considered the biggest civil engineering project in Cote d’Ivoire, the HKB bridge plans to cross the Ébrié Lagoon which divides Abidjan in two. Until recently, the city had two bridges, but with this creation, 80,000 vehicles per day can now cross at a much faster rate. Originally, traffic jams would cause the journey to be near 90 minutes on the most routine days, but at 7km long and a price of $270 million, this will become a much quicker journey.

With these five development projects in Cote d’Ivoire, the country will be able to grow and continue its upward progress towards stable economic development.

 – Nick McGuire

Photo: Flickr